For aesthetic reasons and because of their increased effectiveness compared to glasses, contact lenses enjoy a substantial portion of the market for corrective lenses. Unfortunately, for a great many contact lens users, the insertion of the lens into the eye can require a great deal of effort and can cause significant discomfort. Furthermore, the risk of contamination to the lens is very great during insertion.
Heretofore, there have been many different types of contact lens applicators to facilitate insertion and removal of the lens from one's eye. Examples of such prior art devices can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,879,076; 4,088,359; and 4,167,283. These prior art instruments have not been met with great success because of their complicated arrangements and awkward designs which often result in impeding the vision of a contact lens wearer during insertion.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and improved contact lens insertion tool and method.
Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a contact lens insertion tool and method which minimizes discomfort during insertion of a contact lens.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a contact lens insertion tool and a contact lens insertion method which requires a minimal amount of time and effort for insertion of the contact lens.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a contact lens insertion tool and a contact lens insertion method which mimimizes the risk of contamination due to unsanitary contact with the lens.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a contact lens insertion tool and a contact lens insertion method which substantially reduces blinking during insertion and positioning of a contact lens.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a contact lens insertion tool made of an integral unit to decrease production costs and to minimize the risk of breakage.
Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds.